Friendship
by AyLee Cambell
Summary: Rachel overhears some of the others talking about her and is hurt.


So the others may seem a little harsh, but I kinda needed them to be for this to work out how I wanted it to go...

* * *

Puck watched as Rachel left early. Early for Rachel though was just as glee was ending for the day. She said she had an appointment she couldn't miss. So she was one of the first to leave instead of the last one out. Mr. Schue, and the jazz band had already left and so had Finn and Quinn.

He was staying back a few moments so he wouldn't have to pretend everything was okay in front of his best friend. He nodded to Matt and Mike and stood up to leave. He watched the others - Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, Artie, Santana, and Brittney all close into each other and start talking.

He didn't even want to know what they were going to talk about. He was pretty sure it would be about hair products or which lipstick last longest and he wasn't making the mistake to stick around in hearing range again.

He was barely out the door before they're girl session started. But he froze when he heard the first half shouted comment from the small group.

"Rachel is so frustrating! Why do we even put up with her and her drama?"

"Because we can't win any of the competitions without her. Why else do you think we keep her around? Her annoying personality?"

And they only got worse from there, and that was bad. The reason he froze? Was because he almost ran into Rachel when he walked out into the hallway.

Both of them were too shocked to move, and so he got to watch her face as they both heard everything the others said, every damn thing.

After a moment he was able to move, but it was too late.

"Berry-" Puck started, closing the door behind him and finally cutting off the voices of what she had probably considered her only friends.

Rachel looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I forgot my sheet music." She whispered before turning quickly and walking away through the empty halls.

Puck just watched her go.

She didn't run, just walked fast. Like she didn't want anyone to know something was wrong.

He wonders how many times she had cried and no one knew because she didn't run away.

Just walked.

* * *

He's barely seen Rachel the next day and when he had she was walking fast through the hallways, books clutched tightly to her chest as if to protect her from the rest of the world. She looked tired and sad and that only made him angry.

He may not have been the best friend in the world - cause face it, sleeping with his best friend's girlfriend wouldn't be winning him any awards - but even he knew that what the others had done was like a cardinal sin of friendship.

He was hoping to catch up with her right before glee and let her know that he wasn't thinking anything like what they had said, even if he occasionally looked like he was going for the matches when she cornered him to talk about his vocal range.

But she wasn't there when he came into the practice room early. So he sat down and waited but only saw the others shuffle in instead.

"Where's Rachel at Mr. Schue?" Finn asked, once everyone had arrived but the girl in question.

"She's not coming today Finn. She gave me a note earlier today, it said she had laryngitis. That she was going home instead of coming in today because she would be too tempted to talk or sing if she attended." Mr. Schue said, coming in and putting his shoulder bag down by the piano and turning to face the students.

Kurt stood up. "Oh please. I know you don't believe that Mr. Schue. Rachel has been doing vocal exercises since she first learned she could sing. There is no way she has laryngitis. What did you do to make her mad? Did you take away a solo we didn't know about?"

"That's nice." Puck said sarcastically. "Don't you ever stop?"

"What?" Santana asked, noticing the look Puck shot them all. She gave him a sneer and waited for him to answer.

"Do you know why Rachel isn't here?" Brittney asked, looking between the two.

"I've got a pretty good guess." Puck said, just loudly enough for everyone to hear him.

Kurt looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Really? Do tell. Is she off auditioning for another musical?"

"Rachel wouldn't do that." Finn protested but the others ignored him.

Mr. Schue just looked at all his students before focusing on Puck.

"Do you know what's wrong with Rachel, Puck? Why she might say she has laryngitis?"

"Like I said, I've got a pretty good guess."

"Well, don't keep us waiting. Please share you're theory." Kurt said sarcastically.

"Oh I don't know, maybe it's because she heard all the crap you guys were saying about her yesterday. Maybe she was tired of her supposed friends insulting her behind her back and decided she could do without seeing any of you."

"What are you talking about?" Mercedes asked as everyone turned to stare at Puck.

"I'm talking about your little insult-fest yesterday after everyone else left. When you were all acting like some little bitches and ragging on Rachel behind her back, only she forgot her sheet music and overheard everything you said."

"What did you guys do?" Finn asked, turning to look at the others.

"Nothing! We were just venting! You have to admit, Rachel was really diva-ing out yesterday!" Kurt protested.

"Guys, were you really doing that? I thought you were friends with Rachel." Mr. Schue said, giving

"We didn't mean it Mr. Schue. We were just venting a little and got carried away." Artie said, looking down.

Puck stood up so fast his chair fell backwards with a small crash. Crossing his arms he looked at the ones who had caused Rachel to cry and fake laryngitis.

"That wasn't a little carried away, that was totally loosing it. Do you even realize the things you said? My favorite comment was, the first one we heard, that the only reason anyone put up with her and her drama was because everyone needed her so we could win and that that was the only reason no one had kicked her out of glee yet. It kind of got worse from there, and that was bad enough."

"You guys actually said that?" Finn asked. His face was a mix of shock and horror. "How could you guys say that?"

"We didn't mean too, we just got carried away! Like Artie said, we weren't trying to be mean, just venting. She wasn't supposed to hear any of that!" Tina said, looking ashamed.

"The thing is, she did hear you." Puck said, glaring at them. "And it doesn't matter if you meant them or not, because she sure as hell thinks you did."

"Why do you care? Why are you standing up for her? Weren't you the one who used to throw slushies in her face?"

"I don't think that compares to what you guys said. When I did those that, I wasn't pretending to be her friend or that I cared." Puck said, shaking his head.

"Rachel may be annoying sometimes, but she tells the truth to your face, even when you don't want to hear it. She's has her moments, but I'm pretty sure she's also been there whenever one of us has asked for help and she's usually pretty willing to whatever she has to for any of us. Yesterday, she got to hear people she thought were her friends say some pretty messed up shit and she just walked away, and I'm pretty sure if you asked for her help she'd help you even after that. So what does that say about all of you? Personally, I'm not sure I want to be your friend right now." Puck said and grabbed his jacket and walked out of the room.

He wanted to talk to Rachel, so if she wasn't going to go to glee, he was just going to have to go to her.

Before he was out of hearing - the door was open - he heard Mr. Schue's lecture and smiled. Maybe they would realize that they were lucky to have Rachel Berry for a friend.

It was something he had recently realized.

"I've got to say guys, I'm really disappointed in all of you. I thought glee was supposed to be a place where you didn't have to worry about what others thought. Glee is supposed to be a safety zone, where you all look out for each other. Puck's right, Rachel may have her moments, but so do each of you and I've seen her try to help you when you needed it. I'm not so sure I've seen any of you return that courtesy. You're supposed to be a team and be able to count on each other, how can we be a team if we can't trust each other?"

* * *

Rachel didn't look surprised to see him when she opened the door to her house so he was pretty sure she had already heard about what happened in glee.

Still she didn't say anything about it, just invited him in and asked him if he wanted anything to drink, water, juice, or a soda.

"The soda." He said, wanting a moment alone. "Please." He added after a moment.

His mom had taught him manners. He just usually didn't bother using them.

"The others apologized to me, said that they really didn't mean it and they would like to make it up to me. We're all going to get together on Saturday and do something fun as a group. If you want you could come, but I don't know what we're doing yet so you might not like it." Rachel said, coming back into the living room and handing him the soda.

She was talking a little quieter and slower than normal and looking everywhere but at him while she fidgeted.

"Kurt said that you really laid into them about what they were saying, that you shamed them all and made them see how catty they were acting." Rachel said, finally looking at him.

"I didn't think it was right. They're supposed to be your friends right? Friends don't do that kind of shit. It just made me mad." Puck said, taking the soda and twisting it around in his hands for a moment before he set it down on the coffee table and looked at her.

Rachel just looked confused. "But I don't understand, why did you-"

She stopped and looked at him, shrugging her shoulders and trying to find the words, for once at a loss at how she was supposed to explain it.

"They weren't talking about you, only me. They're more your friends then they are mine, they like you more at least. So why would you defend me? You could have just pretended nothing was wrong, that you didn't hear anything."

"They made you cry." He said then stopped and started over.

"You said we could be, you know, friends." He shuffled slightly and shook his shoulders before putting his hands in his pockets and looking at her. "I stick up for my friends."

Rachel smiled at him. "Thank you, Noah. I'm glad I have a friend like you."

Puck smiled back at her.

He was pretty glad too.

* * *

Please review!


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